Assess writing confidently across Years 1-6 with this complete, National Curriculum-aligned primary writing assessment, tracking and moderation toolkit.

Designed for busy primary teachers, English leads and senior leaders, this practical whole-school resource provides a simple and consistent approach to assessing independent writing throughout the year.

Rather than relying on lengthy assessment checklists or simply counting objectives, the toolkit supports teachers to make informed best-fit writing judgements using clear, age-appropriate expectations.

Pupils can be assessed as:

WB - Working Below
WT - Working Towards
M - Meeting
WA - Working Above

The assessment grids can be used each half term, allowing teachers to assess a piece of independent writing, identify secure and developing skills, make an overall judgement and transfer the outcome directly to a school assessment tracker.

What’s included:

Writing Assessment Grid - Year 1
Writing Assessment Grid - Year 2
Writing Assessment Grid - Year 3
Writing Assessment Grid - Year 4
Writing Assessment Grid - Year 5
Writing Assessment Grid - Year 6
Teacher Guide to Writing Assessment
Whole School Writing Progression Grid
National Curriculum alignment and progression guidance
Whole-school writing progression overview
Writing moderation record
Clear guidance for awarding WB, WT, M and WA
Editable Word versions
Print-ready PDF versions
A simple assessment system

Teachers use four straightforward evidence markers:

✓ Secure independently
~ Developing / inconsistent
× Not yet demonstrated
N/A Not applicable to this writing task

These markers help inform the final judgement, but the system deliberately avoids turning writing assessment into a simple tick-counting exercise.

Key writing criteria are given greater importance, allowing teachers to consider the overall effectiveness of the pupil’s writing alongside grammar, punctuation, spelling and handwriting.

Designed for half-termly assessment

The grids allow teachers to track writing development from Baseline through Autumn, Spring and Summer, making them suitable for schools that assess writing each half term.

Expectations build cumulatively across the year, so teachers assess pupils against the writing knowledge and skills expected at that point rather than expecting children to demonstrate the complete end-of-year curriculum in Autumn.

Useful for moderation

The toolkit also supports professional discussion and writing moderation.

Teachers can use the grids alongside pupils’ independent writing to explain why a piece has been judged Working Below, Working Towards, Meeting or Working Above, helping improve consistency between teachers, classes and year groups.

Curriculum note: This independently developed resource is aligned with the National Curriculum in England for English. It is designed as an in-school assessment and tracking tool and is not an official Department for Education statutory assessment framework.